"Ben Joyce throws as hard as any pitcher in MLB. It's easy to envision him as a potential closer when he can run his fastball to a staggering 104 mph. Joyce was capped at five appearances last year before suffering a shoulder injury. He underwent season-ending surgery in May. The flamethrowing righty threw a bullpen session on the team's first day of camp workouts (link via Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register). It was his first work off a mound since the operation."
"Of course, that's conditional on him being healthy - no small caveat given how much time he has missed over the past two seasons. Stephenson missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery out of Spring Training. He was out of action until last May. The veteran righty made one appearance but went back down with a nerve issue in his biceps."
The Angels entered camp relying mostly on reclamation-type relievers after Kenley Jansen's departure and Reid Detmers' move back to the rotation. The team signed Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano and Brent Suter to one-year deals at $5 million or less to bolster depth. Ben Joyce offers elite velocity and high closing potential but is returning from shoulder surgery and has limited recent innings. Joyce threw a bullpen on the first day of camp but remains uncertain for Opening Day. Robert Stephenson is a fallback closing candidate but carries a lengthy injury history, including Tommy John surgery and subsequent setbacks.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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